


Waste of a Day

by ofthefox



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Consensual, Gen, Incest, M/M, Parent/Child Incest, Prompt Fic, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-31 09:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1029815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofthefox/pseuds/ofthefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written from a prompt on tumblr.</p>
<p>Howard hates being sick, and Tony worries but doesn't mind to much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waste of a Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nathamuel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nathamuel/gifts).



> Prompt from framesonthewall.
> 
> "Howard/Tony: one of them is very ill (not deathly tho but fever and all that jazz and neither of them has ever really seen the other THAT vulnerable and sick and out of it) and the other is very worried indeed but you know they never showed that they cared for each other so it comes as a (pleasant) surprise when the none-ill-party climbs into the others bed just to hold them close and make sure for themself that they're not dying (and gets sick himself of course)"

It had started with sneezing and Howard brushed it off as a high pollen count, thinking nothing more of it. Argued that it was just something in the back of his throat when he started coughing, and fell back on blaming the pollen when he found himself sniffing because of a nose that felt a bit stuffed. Rationalized the aches and pains away from long hours at his desk while his age caught up with him. 

Had an excuse for every indication that he was getting sick, because he had too much to do to waste time being sick.

Until one morning when there was a dull ache in his muscles despite having just woken up. He rolled over onto his side, a grimace passing over his face before pressing his face against the pillow. He had to get up, he did, there were meetings to attend and a new project he had to pitch to the board personally because they were so reluctant on anything non-weapons related. 

But maybe five more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

He was jarred awake by the shrill ringing from the phone on his nightstand, one he’d installed for work emergencies and threatened Obadiah to never call him on unless it was one. Groaning into the pillow, he groped for it with eyes closed and dragged it close, the cord caught on his thumb. Opened his mouth to answer but all that came out was a cough that turned into a fit, shoving away the phone as he sucked in a breath and it felt like he was choking on damn air for a moment.

"I was going to ask why you weren’t in" drawled Obadiah’s voice near his ear and he groaned, putting it to his ear again, "But I think I can tell."

"I’m getting up" he said, or tried but it came out in a croak instead and followed by another fit of coughing, eyes watering.

He heard his friend sigh on the other end, and could almost hear the papers that he shuffled around when he was thinking. “It’s half-past noon. That’s why I was calling. But I’ll handle the board, I got this. You just rest and recover.”

It was the last thing he wanted to do, hated having nothing to do.

"I can—"

"And have you coughing all the way through the meeting? No Howard, stop being difficult."

Howard sighed but reluctantly agreed, hanging up after the goodbyes and rolled back over with his back to the door. And he thinks he must have fallen asleep again because the next thing he’s aware of is a hand on his shoulder shaking him. It’s a careful shake but it still made him already aching muscles tense. He wants to open his eyes but it feels like too much of an effort, even when he feels the dip of the bed behind him.

"Obie told me you were sick" Tony said quietly behind him, and he felt gentle fingers curl into his hair and slide through it which pulled a soft pleased sigh from him. "I almost didn’t believe him, cause you never get sick" his son continued, still raking his fingers tenderly through his hair, "But you also weren’t at Stark Industries at all today. Which usually means you’re engrossed, or dying. And you had that meeting today so that left dying. You’re not dying are you?"

Tony was joking but Howard could hear the undercurrent of worry. “It’s just a cold” he mumbled.

There was a warm chuckle above him and the weight behind him shifted closer, making him slip back a bit towards Tony, before he felt a kiss pressed to his temple. “Did you sleep all day?”

"Is it nighttime?"

"Yeah."

"Then yes" Howard said and that annoyed him, hated wasting so much time like that. His son chuckled again, kissing his skin again before getting to his feet. He thought maybe he was going to go, leave him to his sickness but he just heard the sound of the lock in his bedroom door clicking and cloth against cloth.

He was about to ask what he was doing when suddenly he was clambering over him. “I’m not a jungle gym” he complained, the bed bouncing as Tony sat down. He opened his eyes in time to see him kicking back the covers and sliding under them. “You’re going to get sick.”

Tony hummed softly, grinning as he reached out and snagged his arm, pulling him closer despite his vague noises of protest. It was really just the movement itself he complained against, not the arms that wrapped around him. “You feel like you have a fever” Tony muttered after he pressed his forehead against his collar.

"Probably do."

Howard could feel the fingers back in his hair and Tony was still humming, and it took him a moment to realize it was a lullaby. He gave a half-hearted shoved against his chest and mumbled he wasn’t a baby.

"Hush. You always take care of me Daddy, let me do it for once."

He grunted, how could he argue that. So he just went with “You’re going to get sick” again.

Tony just laughed as he tangled their legs together.


End file.
